Mating Behavior
by Once Upon a Femmeslash
Summary: AU oneshot that became a chapter fic. Jane tries flashing her badge at a female gawker for the first time. Femslash, but what else would you expect?  Final chapter up.
1. Chapter 1

This is just an AU oneshot that sprang into my mind a while ago. I wrote it, forgot about it, found it, and decided to post it. It might become an AU story, but I highly doubt it.

I do not own Rizzoli & Isles and I therefore make no money off writing these things. I just do it for teh lolz.

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><p>This wasn't the usual hangout for Detective Jane Rizzoli. Usually way out of her price range, it was as black-tie as a pub could get while still serving Guinness. A far cry from the Dirty Robber, Jane had decided to reward herself by donning her nicest pantsuit, swiping on some mascara, and sweeping her hair into a messy updo after closing a particularly difficult case.<p>

It had seemed like a great idea while she was getting dressed: go, have a beer (she could only afford one at this place), and hope some handsome guy offered to buy the next couple rounds. But now that she was here it seemed like a mistake. She felt underdressed, and no one seemed to notice the quiet woman in the corner, too involved in their own business at their tables with views.

Dr. Maura Isles decided to get into the role she was going to have to play indefinitely, starting at 9 tomorrow morning. As the new medical examiner for the Boston Police Department, she couldn't be the same woman she was just a few months ago in med school. There her bisexuality was hot, made her popular among her peers. Well, as popular as one could be when constantly spewing fact and aspiring to "dissect dead people."

But the police department was different. It was already a boy's club, let alone a place accepting of different sexualities. She'd be fetishized- the guys would see her as a possible third of a threesome instead of as a highly professional colleague. No one would take her seriously. So starting tomorrow, she would be straight.

It wouldn't be too terrible; it's not like she was going to have to pretend to be interested in someone she's not remotely attracted to. She liked guys. So... masculine. But women were a different thing entirely. Sex with men was exciting, exhilarating. But with women it was so much more passionate and loving. More personal, in a way. It wasn't just about getting off; it was about getting her off. It wasn't the more selfish "once he's done it's over" of being with a man. But this is what she'd get for the next... well, a while.

Too bad, really. It would be great to snag a policewoman. Honorable, brave, strong... Not to mention the physical qualities it would require to take down a big, burly perp.

Maura began to fantasize about being with such a woman. A woman like the one in the corner over there. Tall, thin. But being well versed in human anatomy, Maura could tell the strength hidden in those limbs. Then the long, curly dark brown hair held loosely by a few Bobby pins, messy yet elegant. It was just calling out to be touched. Maura envisioned herself gently letting it out of the updo, watching it cascade over the slim shoulders. Running her fingers through the beautiful locks, gently kissing the thin lips that were now frowning at her, staring into the dark eyes currently glaring...

Oh shit. She'd seen her. She was essentially checking out a woman, and this woman wasn't too happy about it. Probably defensive. Maura knew the type. She knew she had the urges, but because of her upbringing or religion, acting upon the urges was out of the question. But then she'd see another woman eyeing her and assume that woman could see that she had the potential to 'sin' and would get angry, projecting her anger over her possible orientation onto any hapless woman who happened to be interested.

But this was odd. Maura wasn't used to this. Usually she simply frowned, scowled, or occasionally flipped the bird and then went back to what she was doing. But this woman... What was she doing? A smug smile, reaching for her belt...

Jane hadn't used this on a woman before, but it usually worked on men. And this woman was acting just like many men had before, though she was staring much less covertly. Jane took a second to appraise the woman. She was somewhat small in stature, though she had three-inch heels that looked very expensive. She had a general air of importance, of intelligence, and of money. The woman was beautiful, and Jane couldn't help but feel a little flattered that someone of such high society would be interested in working-class her. But never one to be impressed by affluence, Jane reached for her shield.

That bit of brass was always her answer to unwanted attention. Men were either scared off by the strong personality and independence of the typical policewoman or undeterred, excited by the prospect of handcuffs. And Jane knew how to handle the S&M freaks. But she didn't really know how to handle this woman, so she used her general tactic and hoped it would work.

Maura was puzzled. The woman had reached for a badge. All this proved to the doctor was that her policewoman fantasy was validated. It was a strange mating tactic she hadn't encountered before. Perhaps it was a way of showing status, like the feathers of a peacock. Well, if that was it, Maura knew how to respond.

Jane watched, bemused, as her pursuer dug in her designer handbag for a moment. Then, with a curious expression, the stranger presented a badge of her own. Jane laughed out loud, attracting the attention of a few nearby patrons. A bit embarrassed, she blushed and gestured the woman over.

Maura was still confused, but pleased. Evidently her response had been the appropriate one. She had elicited laughter, even. She could only hope the laughter was with her, not at her, as she gathered her purse and went to join the woman.

Jane watched as the stranger, still looking bemused, strolled over. With the woman no longer hiding behind a table, she had a great view. Her heels clicked gently as she made her way over, lithely weaving her way towards the bar. She somehow managed to make a grey pencil skirt look almost casual with a loose, flow-ey lavender blouse that shimmered in the dim lighting. Somehow Jane was caught up, mesmerized in watching her walk and was in a bit of a haze as the bartender asked "Another round?"

When Jane didn't respond immediately Maura stepped in. "I've got it. Another of... that for her and I'd like..."

Jane watched the perfectly glossed lips as the woman ordered something French and no doubt expensive.

She finally snapped out of it when the other woman received her wine and turned to her with a curious smile. Ever the smooth one, Jane said "So you've got a badge too, huh? Let me see that."

The woman held out the laminated card and Jane examined it with a suave smile.

"So, Doctor Maura Isles, medical examiner for the Boston P.D. How are you this fine evening?"

Maura was still perplexed by this woman's behavior. However, she recognized that she was in a compromised position; the woman knew her name but she didn't know hers.

"Not so fast. You still haven't introduced yourself, officer." She said with what she hoped was a flirtatious smile. She knew she couldn't be with this woman, what with her job and all, but a bit of innocent flirting couldn't hurt, could it?

"_Detective_Jane Rizzoli, Boston Police Department at your service, ma'am." Jane stuck out her hand, which Maura shook. The detective was surprised at the firmness of the smaller woman's handshake. The ME was somewhat taken aback by the friendly glint in the lanky woman's eyes and the softness of her hand.

"Pleased to meet you, Detective Rizzoli. Do you come here often?"

"Well, Doctor Isles, you can call me Jane. And no I don't; it's a little out of my price range. The police department doesn't exactly pay top dollar." A wry smirk played at her lips.

Maura smiled benevolently. "Please Jane, it's Maura."

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><p>Feedback is appreciated. Even if you hated it. Especially if you hated it; critiques only help me evolve as a writer.<p>

Just don't review to try to tell me bisexuality or lesbianism is wrong. If you're homophobic, honey, you're in the wrong fandom.


	2. Chapter 2

I got all inspired by your wonderful reviews and went and wrote about 4000 more words worth of this, and I'm nowhere near finished. But I figured I might as well throw y'all a bone and give you a chapter. Should be updated... when I get around to it.

And I'd like to borrow the words of the lovely Googlemouth:

_Dear Bigoted Reviewers: _

_You read an entire story about same-sex-attracted women. Yeah, YOU'RE straight. You're a sad, pathetic little person whose life is clearly very empty, but sure, you could be straight. Now, go read several more lesbian/femslash fanfic stories and keep telling yourself how straight you are. We'll all pray for you. Peace._

_Love and understanding,_

_Pretty Much All The Other Rizzoli & Isles Fans In The World_

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><p><em>Maura smiled benevolently. "Please Jane, it's Maura."<em>

"Okay, Maura it is." Jane replied with a smile.

Maura felt her mind melt as she took in the beautiful grin. Something about it put her at ease. Something about the charismatic person before her felt like home.

"So, you're the new medical examiner. I heard that we were going to meet Dr. Mallard's replacement tomorrow. It's kinda cool to get to meet you first, get ahead of the guys. It'll be nice to be working closely with another woman. The justice system is a real boy's game, you know?"

"Yes, the military and police are among the top male-dominated professions in the country." Maura spit out through the haze of attraction in her mind, then immediately inwardly cringed. This was not the time to sound like an encyclopedia. "So, you said we would be working closely together. I gather you're Homicide?"

"You've got me pegged, Doc."

That grin. Maura had only known Jane for a few minutes but already she knew she loved that grin. "So what motivated you to challenge the glass ceilings in the force?"

"It was never anything noble like breaking ceilings or climbing the ranks to pave the way or anything," Jane couldn't resist bragging just a bit. "though I was the first woman ever to make Homicide Detective."

Maura's eyebrows rose and she smiled, impressed.

"I just knew I didn't want to go into the family business, plumbing. Rizzoli & Daughter doesn't have a great ring to it."

This time the grin was accompanied by a gentle elbow to the ribs. Maura was surprised at Jane's almost instant friendliness and ease with socially awkward her. But she wasn't complaining one bit.

"I guess I was just always good at kicking ass." Jane turned toward the bar and picked up her drink, which Maura mimicked. Maura watched as the captivating woman downed a few ccs of liquor; something about it was oddly sexual. Maura had to restrain herself from running her tongue over her lips in arousal. She would have to work professionally with this woman, after all.

"What about you?" the detective asked, setting down the alcohol and turning back toward her conversational partner. "How'd you become an ME? Don't tell me you always wanted to dissect dead bodies." An easy chuckle followed her last teasing sentence.

Maura wasn't chuckling. Her mouth twisted into a sort-of grimace and she looked at once ashamed and apologetic. "Okay, I won't."

Her mood was instantly lightened when she once again elicited a peal of laughter from the lanky woman. "Hey, I don't judge."

Maura got a far-off look in her eye as she gazed into her wine. "Neither do the dead. They don't judge or tease. They don't shun or ridicule. And in return I help them. I figure out what the corpses are trying to tell me and I help find justice for them." Maura surprised herself by opening up so easily. Maybe the wine had gotten her talkative. Or maybe it was the way this woman felt so comfortable and trustworthy. So… right.

Jane scooted a bit closer and, much to Maura's surprise placed an arm around the smaller woman's shoulders. "I get it. People can be assholes."

"Language, Jane."

Jane gave a small smile, but it quickly faded. "One of the kids in my neighborhood used to call me Frog Face." She looked over to the medical examiner and tried to fake a wry smile, as if it didn't affect her anymore.

"Oh Jane," Maura responded, leaning further into the detective's embrace and grasping the hand that hung over her shoulder while gazing into the face now inches from hers "You don't have a frog face at all. Your features are very aesthetically pleasing."

Jane gave a small, inaudible chuckle that might've gone unnoticed to the medical examiner had she not been able to feel the detective's breath sweep across her face. "I'm not entirely sure what that means, but I'll assume it's positive." There was that turn-your-brain-into-goo grin again. Metaphorically speaking. It would take high velocities, extreme temperatures, or a severe disease to literally turn the brain to goo.

"My classmates used to call me 'Maura the bore-a'." the medical examiner divulged nonchalantly, as if she didn't still think back on it and wonder if it were true. "I believe they meant to call me a bore, but it didn't rhyme."

Jane squeezed her new buddy's shoulders comfortingly. "Hey. You are _not_ boring. I bet they were just jealous of your intellect."

Maura relaxed into Jane's grasp, setting her head on the taller woman's shoulder. "Maybe. I was the youngest in my class."

"By how much?"

"Only a couple of years."

Jane gave the breathy chuckle again and set her chin down on the top of Maura's head.

Maura couldn't believe what was happening. At first she was gawking, and when she got caught she thought she would simply get told off and that would be the end of it. But instead she had somehow made the beautiful woman laugh. Jane. They were already on a first-name basis, she realized with a small smile. They had gotten to talking, and Jane hadn't been scared off by her… oddness. Then the touching had begun, and the deeper conversation. Now she was situated comfortably in Detective Rizzoli's strong arms, wrapped in her warm embrace.

Maura stiffened as she remembered where she was. She was entangled with this woman she'd barely met at the bar of a nice restaurant. She became suddenly self-aware and a bit paranoid that other patrons were watching them, but couldn't bring herself to break their intimate, comfortable position.

Jane felt the smaller woman stiffen in her arms. Maura seemed troubled for some reason. Maura, who seemed at once innocent and wise, intelligent and vulnerable. Jane's brow furrowed as she realized that she had opened up more to this woman in a few minutes than she had to Korsak in a few weeks when they were first partners. Jane's face assumed a peculiar expression when she realized that she didn't mind. Something about the beautiful woman in her arms seemed trustworthy. She had some gut instinct that she could tell the doctor anything and it wouldn't be divulged to anyone ever.

Jane peered downward at the woman practically laying against her to try to discern the problem. It faintly registered that her hair smelled like a beautiful mix of lilac, lavender, and… pomegranate? Jane couldn't see her companion's face from her angle, but she did spot their hands intertwined over Maura's right shoulder. No one touched her hands, not since she gained the scars. It seemed so… intimate.

Ding ding ding, we have a winner. Intimate. It hit Jane suddenly that the reason Maura had stiffened was because it had become apparent to her that they were being rather intimate in a public setting. A light blush flooded her cheeks.

"Hey, have you eaten?" Jane asked, pulling back a little and moving her hand from Maura's shoulder to her upper arm without losing that bit of contact.

Maura recovered quickly from the surprise of Jane's out-of-the-blue inquiry. "No, I hadn't ordered yet before coming over here. Did you have something in mind?"

"Yeah, a burger sounds pretty good right now. Wanna head over to that diner a couple blocks from here?"

"Sure, I could go for a house salad."

The two women never relinquished contact as Maura paid the bill and made their way to the parking lot, Jane with her hand alternating between Maura's left shoulder and upper back.

"Your car or mine?" Jane's hand slipped lower and rested in the small of Maura's back.

"I took a cab here, so yours." Maura stepped a little to her left and Jane's hand snaked to her right hip. Jane broke contact a moment later to skip a step ahead and open the passenger side door for Maura, then gently guide her in with a hand on her shoulder and walk around to the driver's side and get in.

Maura buckled her seatbelt and instructed Jane to do so as well when the lanky brunette started the car and put it in reverse without first following safety protocols. "_I'm_ the officer of the law; shouldn't _I_ be telling _you_ that?" Jane teased as she did as she was told.

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><p>Thanks for reading.<p>

Oh, and in case you've forgotten, I don't own the show. I just like to borrow the characters.


	3. Chapter 3

I will warn that this chapter is pretty much just fluff. There's some angst coming in the next chapter. But who doesn't love some Rizzles fluff?

And, as if you needed reminding, I don't own this incredible show.

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><p>"What can I get you to drink?"<p>

"Coffee please."

"Decaf."

"Hey, do I tell you what to order?"

"You were telling me on the way over here that if I wasn't going to have a burger I should at least try the fries. And if you were to consume caffeine at this hour it would likely negatively affect your sleep schedule."

"Is that your expert medical opinion, Doc?"

"Yes, yes it is."

Jane rolled her eyes but nevertheless nodded toward the pad in the waitress's hand. "Decaf it is, then."

"And for you?"

"Iced tea, please. No lemon."

"A decaf and a tea, no lemon. They'll be right out."

The waitress left Jane and Maura at their booth by the window, the only patrons aside from an older man on a barstool and a strung-out looking young man in a booth in the corner.

Jane reached across the table to lightly punch Maura in the arm. "Tea has caffeine in it!"

"Not a significant amount!" Maura replied defensively, flinching and batting away Jane's arm.

"'Significant amount' my-"

"Language, Jane."

Jane simply stuck her tongue out in response.

"Alrighty. A decaf coffee for you and an iced tea, no lemon, for you. Anything else I can get you?" The two seated women shook their heads. "Okay, do you two know what you'd like to order?"

"Yeah, I'd like a cheeseburger and fries."

"Mustard, mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion?"

"No mayo. But otherwise, yeah."

"Okay. And for you?"

"I'd like a house salad."

"Dressing?"

"Lite ranch?"

"Can do."

Jane gave Maura a strong look. _'C'mon, the fries?'_

Maura gave Jane a look that clearly said _'no.'_

'_C'mon, you told me what to order with the coffee!'_

'_Really?'_

'_Really.'_

'_No!'_

The waitress watched the exchange with a bemused expression. "Will that be all?"

"Yes, it will." Maura replied with a pointed look to Jane.

"Okaaay." The waitress took the order to the back with an expression on her face that screamed 'they're crazy'.

"Maura!" Jane whined.

"If you'd like me to try them so much then just let me try one of yours."

"But then you'll want them all. I promise, they're that good."

"I'll take your word for it."

Jane simply rolled her eyes. "So where were you before you got the job?"

"I had an internship in Washington DC. My mentor consulted with the FBI."

"Like Bones! So you'd be Zach."

"I don't know what that means."

"On second thought, you're more like Bones."

Maura turned her head ever so slightly in confusion. "Are you comparing me to a skeleton?"

"No, Bones is a character. She's a forensic oncologist or whatever-"

"I highly doubt she's a forensic cancer specialist."

"You know what? Never mind."

"What-?" Maura was interrupted by the arrival of the food.

"Yum! Maura, you have to try these fries."

"Did you know that French fries actually originate in Belgium? In French they're called _les frites_."

"Fascinating. Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way."

"The hard way?"

"Maura, I tackled a naked guy on my first day on the job. I've broken a chair over the head of a meth-crazed gangbanger. I think I can get you to eat a French fry."

"Fine, the easy way." Maura conceded, but not without a bit of a pout.

Jane simply grinned and held out a French fry. Instead of taking it from her like Jane expected, Maura leaned forward, narrowly

avoiding getting dressing on her blouse, and took a bite of French fry from the detective's hand. Jane watched mesmerized as Maura's mouth closed around the little stick of potato and as she chewed slowly, savoring the taste. The same perfectly glossed lips that had looked beautiful speaking French. Those lips looked so perfect, so kissable.

The thought surprised Jane, but she pushed it away to confront another time.

"Jane! You were right, these are delicious!"

"What did I say?" Jane gloated, trying unsuccessfully to bat Maura's hand away from her plate before the laughing woman nabbed a couple more.

"Hey, I said you were right."

"Damn right, I'm right!" Jane grinned, and Maura stared for a moment and forgot about the fact that she had waived the waitress over.

"Yes?"

"Oh, sorry. Could I get another order of these fries please? Thank you."

"Sure thing. Just a few minutes."

"What did I tell ya?"

"Quit gloating." Maura and Jane shared a tender smile, but were soon interrupted by their fries.

"Thank you."

"Sure thing. Anything else?"

"Actually, yeah. Do you serve milkshakes?"

"Yeah, chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla."

"I'd like chocolate please."

"Just a minute."

After the waitress left Jane scolded "Really, Jane? A chocolate milkshake?"

"Yes, Maura. A chocolate milkshake. I happen to like chocolate milkshakes. One of the perks of being an adult is having dessert when you want it. And besides, you're helping me with it."

"Oh, I am?"

"You don't want to try the hard way with a milkshake."

The two women ate up, quickly finishing their respective entrees and moving on to feeding each other French fries and sometimes, often, tossing them at each other.

"Ooh, I have an idea for the milkshake." Jane hopped up and nabbed something from the bar.

"I hope you plan on being more careful with the ice cream than with the fries."

"Yes, we're going to toss ice cream at each other. It'll be just like a fat guy's favorite porno."

"I'm hoping that was sarcasm."

"Yes, Maura, that was sarcasm. Now you know that 50s cliché with the guy in the letter jacket and the girl in the poodle skirt and they're drinking from the same milkshake with bendy straws?"

"Not really, but you've described it well enough."

"Well, we're going to do that. Come on!" Jane stuck the two straws she'd collected into the milkshake and started sucking on one. Maura adjusted the positioning of her straw and leaned in to join Jane in enjoying the milkshake. Both women were grinning ear-to-ear, two inches apart.

From the door of the kitchen the waitress said "Aw, what a cute couple." to the cook. The older man at the bar grumbled something about 'overrunning Massachusetts with their flags and their pride and their rainbows'. The crackhead in the corner snapped a few pictures with his phone.

"You know, in the fifties actions such as these were indicative of relationship status."

"English, please."

"Doing this would've broadcasted us as dating."

"Oh yeah, I didn't think about that." Jane paused to contemplate the idea briefly. "I'd be the guy though."

"Jane, that is such a cliché!"

"It's true! Besides, can you see me in a poodle skirt?"

"No, I suppose not." Maura acquiesced, laughing at the mental image. "Wanna see something cool?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

Maura picked the cherry out of the mound of whipped cream on top of the milkshake and held it out to Jane, who took the small fruit off the stem with her teeth and ate it. Maura then popped the stem into her mouth. Jane laughed at the odd faces Maura was making for a few moments, then Maura stuck out her tongue with the cherry stem on it, tied in a knot.

"Maura, how'd you do that? That is so cool! My brothers and I used to try to do that, but we'd just end up chewing them to a pulp."

Maura simply removed the stem from her tongue and smiled, holding the knot out to her tablemate who took it to get a closer look.

"You sure have a talented tongue, Doc."

Maura blushed. "It just takes practice."

Jane studied it for another moment. "You had to have cheated."

Maura was indignant. "Did not! You saw me-"

"Did too! There's no way you could do this" She held out the stem "that fast" she snapped "with your tongue." She smiled and tossed a French fry at Maura, then reached for the milkshake while still peering at the stem in amazement.

"Jane!" Maura shrieked, attracting the attention of the other patrons.

"What? What's wrong?"

"You got it down my shirt!"

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><p>Yeah. I went there. Or rather, Jane did. I tried to tell her to be more careful where she was chucking those things, but <em>nooooo<em>

Thanks for reading.


	4. Chapter 4

Don't own, so don't sue.

To those who raised questions about this fic being labeled AU: I figured that Jane and Maura didn't in a bar and therefore a fic set in a universe where they met in a bar instead of on the job would be AU. Anyway, not an integral part of the story.

This chapter is more serious. Sorry, I guess I just can't keep things light and fluffy for too long. It's not my nature I suppose. Wish I could say it got fluffier, but at least we get to see the comforting side of Jane. Sorry.

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><p><em>"Jane!" Maura shrieked, attracting the attention of the other patrons.<em>

_"What? What's wrong?"_

_"You got it down my shirt!"_

"The French fry?"

"_Yes_, the French fry. What else?" Maura was standing up next to the table by now, pulling at her shirt and doing a little dance.

"Here, let me-"

"_Jane_!" Maura scolded, batting Jane's hand away. "Hands out of my shirt!"

"Just take it off, then you'll be able to find it."

"Jane! I am _not_ taking my shirt off in a diner!"

"Not here, in the restroom! Go! It's over there."

Maura pranced to the bathrooms, shimmying and tugging at the front of her blouse the whole time.

The strung-out guy watched the whole scene with wide eyes, unbelieving that this was really playing out right in front of him. He also gained some sudden table manners and placed his napkin in his lap.

Jane sat back down in the booth, palm to forehead, as some inebriated frat guys entered the diner and all but claimed the bar, causing the older man to grumble something about kids these days, leave a tip, and leave.

Maura emerged from the restroom a moment later, blouse evidently fixed and ridded of potato but with hair mussed from the ordeal. She was headed back toward her and Jane's table when her path was blocked by a jock who'd drunk enough to get brave and stupid.

"Hey. How you doin?"

Maura tried to simply step around him.

"Where you goin there, honey?" he said, stepping directly in her way. "You're lookin' good. You know that? You're _hawt_."

She tried to fake him out to get around him, to no avail.

"Excuse me." She said tersely.

"Hey, no prob." he said, stepping out of the way. The snickers coming from his frat buddies erupted into all-out cheers when he grabbed her ass as she passed him.

Maura whirled around quickly, but before she could react Jane was at her side, having been watching him closely since he swaggered up to her. Jane stepped between Maura and the frat boy, easily three inches taller than her.

"Hey." She greeted in a falsely friendly tone of voice.

He just grinned and looked her up and down. "What's cookin', good lookin'?"

Jane just stared politely but unwaveringly and brushed her blazer back and put her hand on her hip, revealing her badge and gun. The crackhead in the corner said "Fuck" and scurried out.

The frat boy took a step back. "Whoa."

"'Whoa' is right." Jane said in an even, threatening tone, her face graced with a cocky smile that said 'You're in for it, buddy'. She took a step forward.

"Not such a big guy when faced with a woman with a gun?" Another confident smirk. Another step backward for the jock. Another step forward for Jane.

"Or maybe you're not quite as dumb as you look. Maybe it's the prospect of being collared for assault you're scared of." Jane stepped forward again, almost standing on his toes.

He just gulped and looked ashamedly at Maura, standing slightly behind Jane. All snickering from the frat boy peanut gallery had given way to awed silence.

Suddenly the smirk vanished and Jane's voice was steely, full of pure intimidation. "Try that shit again and the handcuffs won't be your biggest threat. She's the medical examiner, you know." Jane nodded toward Maura. "If you were to come across her autopsy table with, say, a bullet to the chest" Jane tapped her right hand on her holstered gun and shoved him in the chest with her left. "and she ruled natural causes, they would be no investigation. There'd just be you, six feet under. And us, going on with our lives." Jane gave another smirk, still managing to emit waves of cold anger.

The once-brave frat boy stood rooted to the spot, his buddies gazing on in awe.

Jane's jaw still jutted out, her right hand was still on her piece. Then Maura touched her arm. The detective slowly melted. Her posture became less rigid. Her hand slowly came down to her side.

"Go, get outta here." Jane dismissed with a wave of her hand, not without one last threat. "But next time you're not so lucky."

The frat boys made their way out of the diner slowly, defiantly. Most were already out when one decided not to go quietly. "Fuckin' dykes."

To Jane's surprise, Maura was in that kid's face in a flash. "What did you say?"

"I, uh…" The kid was a good five inches taller that the medical examiner, but he immediately began sweating profusely out of nervousness.

"I'm not armed. I can't shoot you. What did you say?"

"I, uh, sorry, ma'am. I said" he cleared his throat briefly "'fucking dykes', ma'am." He gazed down at Dr. Isles' shoes, clearly afraid to look her in the eye.

"And what does that mean?" Something in Maura's voice was… odd. Cool, confident. Like she was testing him. And he would fail.

"'Dyke'?" The fratboy's face scrunched in confusion. "A dyke is a lesbian, ma'am."

"No, not the slang., the denotation What is a dike?" Same tone of voice. Calculating, almost.

"Uh, it's uh, a water thing, ma'am." The kid wasn't sure where this was going, which made him even more nervous.

"So basically you called us embankments used to control rivers and seas?" Zing. Maura delivered the line flatly and matter-of-fact, but not without a cutting, almost ridiculing edge.

"Uh, um, basically, yes. Ma'am." His face turned an embarrassed pink.

"Learn some better insults, you vile undereducated drunkard." Maura spit out the cutting remark, the verbal attack flowing off her tongue so smoothly and quickly it took him a second to realize he'd been insulted

The kid's pink shade darkened to a mortified fuchsia. "Yes, ma'am." he replied, relieved, and hurried out.

From the sidewalk the women could hear one of the guys comment "Dude. She _owned_ you."

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><p>At least two more chapters to go, probably more. Thanks for reading, and special thanks to those who will review and who have reviewed.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

This is where it gets kinda angst-y. Sorry. But hey, at least we get to see Jane comforting Maura like she does so well.

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><p><em>"Learn some better insults, you vile undereducated drunkard." Maura spit out the cutting remark, the verbal attack flowing off her tongue so smoothly and quickly it took him a second to realize he'd been insulted<em>

_The kid's pink shade darkened to a mortified fuchsia. "Yes, ma'am." he replied, relieved, and hurried out._

_From the sidewalk the women could hear one of the guys comment "Dude. She owned you."_

Jane walked up behind Maura and placed an arm around her shoulders. "Hey. Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Maura replied unconvincingly. "Yeah, I'm fine."

The cook, and also evidently the manager, hurried out. "I'm sorry about that. Really sorry about that. Sleazes like those kinda come with the open-all-night thing. Sorry."

"It's fine. Dealing with sleazes is my job."

"I know, thin blue line and all, but you shouldn't hafta… You know what? Meal's free. On us. Our apologies."

"Thanks. Really. Thanks." Rizzoli and Isles started to make their way back toward their table to collect their things.

"We're really sorry."

"We get it. Quit saying that." Jane replied with humor with a bit of seriousness mixed in.

"Right. Sorry. … Dammit."

Jane just gave him one last fake smile and ushered Maura back to the table, where the ME left a generous tip, and out the door.

Maura climbed into the passenger seat and fastened her seat belt. Jane took her position behind the wheel but made no indication she intended to pull out any time soon, opting instead to turn toward Maura.

"Hey." Jane's voice was tender as she laid her right hand on Maura's left on the armrest. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Really, I'm fine." Maura insisted, breath hitching as she took a sudden interest in the floor mats.

"What was that? The thing you did with your breath?"

"What? That was…" Maura trailed off, sighed, and resigned herself to telling Jane something she wasn't sure she wanted her newfound friend to know just yet. "I can't lie. I start to hyperventilate. Often I lose consciousness."

"You can't lie? How does someone go through life without at least white lies?"

"Well, I don't always tell the whole truth, per say. I'll just say something that's technically true and let others jump to their own conclusions."

"But you said that you were fine. I can tell that something's bothering you."

"Well, I am fine physically."

"Tricky." Jane reached her right arm around Maura's shoulders and held her as close as possible in the car, reaching over to hold the smaller woman's left hand in her left. "Maura, if you don't want to tell me I understand. But if there's anything I can do…"

Maura once again laid her head on Jane's shoulder. Squeezing her hand, she decided to open up. "I just… it took me back to something that happened in college. I was a freshman at BCU. Spring finals had just finished, and I had been invited to an ABC party. Anything but clothes."

_A sixteen-year-old Maura Isles maneuvered her way through a crowded frat house, turning down numerous plastic cups of beer. Clad only in a short dress fashioned from purple latex gloves borrowed from the lab, she was receiving more attention than she'd bargained for. Finally she spotted the older classmate who had suggested she come and hurried over. _

"_Hey, Lizzie." Maura greeted a blonde senior dressed only in a bikini fashioned from magazines. _

"_Hey, lil' sis!" Maura was embraced quickly by the taller girl and found herself looking at an article about who wore it best that was the only thing between her face and her zealous 'older sister's' breasts. "I was just beginning to wonder if you'd show. You look great, by the way." _

"_Thanks. It took me longer to put together than I expected. And longer to get into."_

"_Totally worth the effort. Hey, I want you to meet my boyfriend. He like, totally organized this whole thing."_

_The captain of the lacrosse team sauntered up, covered only by a towel wrapped around his waist. _

"_Maura, this is my Edward." Lizzie said, giving the tall, built young man a peck on the cheek. "Ed, this is Maura. She's a freshman here and she's only sixteen. How cool is that?"_

"_Hey freshie, what up?" Ed responded, holding out a fist for Maura to 'bump', which she did, responding "Presumably, the second floor."_

"_She's so funny." Lizzie beamed. "Hey, can I get you some beer?"_

"_Lizzie. I'm sixteen, remember?"_

"_Whatever. If you're old enough to go to cram your brains out for finals you ought to be old enough to get wasted afterwards."_

"_Come on," Ed added. "It's not like anyone's gonna know. You look twenty-one anyway." He added with a wink. _

"_No thanks." Maura replied politely but firmly. _

"_Whatever. I'll see if I can find you some lemonade, okay?"_

"_Thanks." _

_Lizzie wandered off in the general direction of the kitchen, leaving Maura with Ed. _

"_Lizzie's sure something, isn't she?" Ed gazed at his girlfriend's retreating figure. Maura simply nodded, wanting to appear in agreement without seeming as if she was checking out the muscular guy's girl. _

"_She doesn't have anything on you, though." _

_Maura was taken aback. Ed had turned his attention directly to her, gazing at her latex-clad form hungrily. Maura might've been flattered, might've been interested in the older athlete, but he was Lizzie's boyfriend. She couldn't do that to Lizzie; the older girl was like a sister, even if she was most sisterly when she needed help writing a BioChem paper. The sixteen-year-old didn't know what to do, and so stood still like a deer in the headlights. _

"_You're so pretty in an innocent way. Like you don't even know how fucking beautiful you are." Ed reached up to touch Maura's cheek and she shied away, heart starting to pound._

"_Hey, don't be shy. Though it is rather cute on you."_

_He took a step towards Maura, invading her personal space, and she stepped backwards against the wall. _

"_Where do you think you're going, little miss?" Ed asked in a teasingly playful yet almost threatening tone. He stepped closer and leaned in so far Maura could smell the alcohol on his breath. The teenager's breath hitched and her eyes widened, and she began to have an odd churning sensation in her stomach. _

"_Look who has goose bumps. I think I know of something that could warm you up." Ed leered at her, his face less than an inch from Maura's._

In Jane's car Maura shivered, and Jane turned off the air conditioning in the car and hugged the clearly disturbed woman close with both arms, whispering "Shh, it's okay."

_Maura's arms felt like useless lead as Ed placed one hand on her waist and the other on her upper thigh. _

"_In fact, I could keep you warm all night long." _

_Ed's left hand travelled upward toward the frightened sixteen-year-old's breast and his right shifted to cup the back of her thigh, pulling it upward and outward. He continued to press forward as the 'hem' of her latex dress inched higher, chafing painfully_

_Maura didn't know what to do. Any movement could shift the placement of his hands to where she really didn't want them to go, could result in her skirt riding up way above where modesty would place it. No movement could result in him groping her anyway. No movement could result in him continuing to push her dress up, giving him access to do something worse than grope. If only she had made a latex glove clutch purse like she'd thought about doing and put pepper spray in it. If only she'd come in a cardboard box instead of figure-hugging latex. If only she hadn't come at all. If only Lizzie hadn't left. _

_Lizzie._

"_Lizzie's coming." It wasn't a lie; she had indicated that she'd be returning eventually._

_It worked. Ed pulled off of her, straightening in an attempt to fool his girlfriend he hadn't just had his hands all over a sixteen-year-old. Maura tried to sneak away while he was looking for her, but wasn't fast enough. _

"_I don't see her."_

_Maura tried to cover. "Whoops. I wonder where she is." Maura faked a tone of curiosity, insinuating that she was going to go look for her. "Excuse me."_

_Ed let her pass. But not without grinning and slapping her ass as she passed._

_Maura straightened, surprised and frightened. She wanted to turn around. She wanted to tell him off, or just slap him. _

"But I was too scared. So I ran."

Jane gently rubbed Maura's upper arm as she held her close. Maura simply laid in Jane's grasp, eyes tightly shut, and continued to whisper her story.

"I tried to go to campus police. Immediately. They told me that I was asking for it by wearing a latex dress. They said that if I couldn't handle frat parties I should go back to junior high where I belonged. They wouldn't give me a jacket to cover up when I asked. They just sent me back to my dorm."

One tear escaping from Maura's clenched eye didn't escape Jane's notice and she wiped it away with her thumb. "Hey, it's okay now. You're okay. I've got you."

"I thought about telling Lizzie. I wanted to, but I was afraid she wouldn't believe me. She and Ed graduated about a week later anyway. I never really told anyone."

One tear had turned into streams cascading down Maura's cheeks, smudging her makeup onto Jane's shirt. Jane continued to cradle Maura and whisper reassurances into her hair.

"I always wondered what happened to them. If they lasted past graduation, if they got married. If he ever hurt her. If he ever… forced her."

Maura's tears had for the most part subsided, and she simply enjoyed the warm comfort of Jane's embrace while wallowing in her dark thoughts. Jane could tell her vocal reassurances weren't registering, and opted to provide silent comfort.

"Jane?" Maura's meek voice broke a comfortable silence.

"Yes, Maura?" Jane pulled back a bit to look at the woman in her arms.

Maura looked up at Jane. "Could we not do this in a diner parking lot?"

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><p>Kinda an abrupt ending, I know, but I figured this chapter was already long enough. More tomorrow, probably.<p>

Thank you, my wonderful reviewers and viewers and 'favorite'-ers and 'alert'-ers.


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry it took me forever to update. But I have it all written now, and I believe that after the next chapter this story will be finished.

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><p>"Jane?" Maura's meek voice broke a comfortable silence.<p>

"Yes, Maura?" Jane pulled back a bit to look at the woman in her arms.

Maura looked up at Jane. "Could we not do this in a diner parking lot?"

Jane straightened a bit and blushed. "Yeah. Um… okay. Yeah. Where to?"

"Would you mind taking me home?"

"Not at all. Where is it?"

Maura gave a few basic directions and Jane buckled up and pulled out of the parking lot. Once they were on the road Maura's left hand rested palm-up on the armrest, and Jane set her right hand in it. She glanced thoughtfully at it for a moment before gazing back at the road.

"You haven't asked me about the scars."

"I figured that if you wanted me to know you'd tell me. You still don't have to."

"I appreciate it." Jane took a deep breath. "A while back a case came across my desk where a husband had been killed and his wife went missing, only to later turn up dead. Then a double homicide became a string of murders when we found more men bound with their throats slashed, more women raped, tortured, and killed. We started closing in on him. His name was Charles Hoyt. The media called him The Surgeon."

Jane turned to Maura with a wry smile. "He'd been kicked out of medical school for fondling a corpse." She resumed her far-away gaze toward the road and continued.

"We soon found his 'lab' and I was too stupid to call for backup before rushing in there, guns a-blazing, to rescue the latest woman he'd kidnapped and collar him. He blind sighted me with a two-by-four, knocked me out cold. When I came to he had me spread-eagle on the ground, pinned down with a scalpel through each hand. He was right above me, scalpel to my neck, and" Jane got choked up for a moment. "and I thought I was going to die. I was sure that they were going to find me, raped and murdered, Hoyt already in the wind. I imagined Korsak, my partner at the time, notifying my Ma and Pop, imagined their heartbreak. I wondered who my kid brother Frankie would look up to once I was gone. I thought about God, about what came next. I kicked myself for not going to Mass more often. One quote, from Albus Dumbledore- you know, the Harry Potter character? –kept running through my mind. 'Death is but the next great adventure.' I might've gone on an adventure pretty soon if Korsak hadn't burst in at the right moment. He saved my life."

Maura was quiet for a moment, and simply gazed at Jane's hand that she clutched in both of hers.

"You said Korsak was your partner 'at the time'." Maura observed quietly. "Why isn't he your partner anymore?"

"He saw me like that. He shot Hoyt and came over to me. He saw me blubbering and whimpering, pinned to the ground. How could he think I had his back after that?"

"Jane. You're still a Homicide Detective. You managed to come back to the job after being put in a situation like that. That takes incredible strength. How could he not think you could have his back?"

"Ma tried to get me to quit the force after that. Pretty much everyone expressed that they would respect me if I did, that they would understand. That wasn't strength. That was hardheadedness."

"Call it what you will, Jane. I think you're incredibly brave."

"Thanks." Jane gave Maura the signature Rizzoli smile before pointing out the window.

"This it?"

"That's the one."

Jane wolf-whistled. "Wow. Nice place you got here, Doc."

Maura blushed. "Thanks."

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment before Jane glanced at the clock, then did a double-take.

"Shit, Maura, we have work in the morning!"

"Language, Jane. But you're correct, we should both probably get to bed. Goodnight."

Maura started to get out of the car.

"Maura-"

"Yes, Jane?"

"What was his last name? The guy who… the guy in college?"

Maura knew what Jane meant. "Spratley. Edward Spratley."

"Edward Spratley. I'll run a background check on him, see if he's gotten into any trouble."

"Would you?"

"Yeah, no problem."

"Thank you, Jane. Really."

"You're welcome. Goodnight, Maura."

"Goodnight, Jane."

Jane sat in her car and watched as Maura walked up the pathway leading towards her front door. Then something compelled her to open her door and stand up. Something told her she wanted to know this woman, and not just as a colleague. Something told her she wanted to share a milkshake again.

"Hey Maura?"

Maura, already halfway up the walk, turned and called back "Yes, Jane?"

"You wanna maybe have lunch tomorrow? If we have time we could go someplace. Or sometimes when I'm rushed I just eat tuna at my desk. You could join me?" Jane blushed, slightly embarrassed at the way her last sentence sounded like a question, embarrassed about sounding almost like a nervous teenager asking for a second date.

"Yeah, I'd like that." Jane could see Maura's shy smile from the driveway. "_A plus_."

"Ah ploo? What?"

"Short for _a plus tard_. It's French for 'until later'. The French equivalent of the English 'See you later, alligator' is '_a plus tard, mon canard'_."

Jane grinned. "You sound like Google sometimes, you know? After a while, _crocodile_." Jane pronounced the last word with a French accent, eliciting a peal of laughter from Maura.

"That is actually the French word for 'crocodile'. They're cognates."

Jane pointed at Maura mock-accusingly and smiled. "There you go shooting off that Google Mouth of yours again." She chuckled, then realized just how tired she really was. "Ah ploo," she said tenderly.

Maura simply smiled. "A plus."

Jane got back in her car and waited until Maura was safely inside before pulling out and heading home.

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><p>Thanks for reading. One more chapter soon to follow.<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

Last chapter. *le sigh* School is back in full swing, so it's probably a good thing that I found a good place to wrap up instead of leaving y'all hanging until winter break.

Enjoy.

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><p><em>Jane pointed at Maura mock-accusingly and smiled. "There you go shooting off that Google Mouth of yours again." She chuckled, then realized just how tired she really was. "Ah ploo," she said tenderly. <em>

_Maura simply smiled. "_A plus_."_

_Jane got back in her car and waited until Maura was safely inside before pulling out and heading home. _

Jane was oddly contented on her drive home. Something about the night had been… fulfilling. Better than she could've ever expected. Jane smirked to herself. Nothing like what she'd expected.

Maura went through her nightly routine in a happy haze. After feeding Bass and making sure he had everything she needed for the night she retreated to the master bedroom, freshly unpacked. Not that one would know it from looking; the doctor had quite an attention to detail and an affinity for cleanliness and order and wouldn't have stood for the boxes of junk strewn about that moves often entailed.

Jane walked in to an empty apartment, sobering her up a tad. "I should get a dog or something." She proceeded to close and lock the door behind her, put her gun and badge in a drawer, and sweep up the array of files that domineered her coffee table. She also noticed some dishes that needed washing and a full trashcan, but decided they could wait until tomorrow. No hurry, really.

Maura removed her heels carefully and placed them back in the closet. Next her skirt came off, folded and placed neatly in the hamper, followed by her blouse. She looked down, about to unclasp her bra, when something caught her attention. The medical examiner laughed raucously as she pulled a tiny bit of greasy potato from her cleavage.

Jane walked through her bedroom into her bathroom, kicking off socks and shoes and laying her blazer on some surface nearby as she went. After having padded into the bathroom she glanced in the mirror, then turned around for a second look. She hadn't noticed before that she had wet blotches and black streaks on her shirt where Maura had cried furiously into her. In an odd way the stained clothing made Jane smile a little. Maura trusted her. She trusted her enough to divulge details of an extremely personal event and had trusted her enough to let her guard down and have a good cry. Jane had been cried on before; making notifications was in her job description after all. But this was different. These weren't tears of shock and pain. These were the more personal tears of the remembrance of fear, of the loneliness of holding a secret so long, of regret and uncertainty about not having spoken out sooner. And maybe, just maybe, tears of relief for finally having shared her story. Jane felt privileged to have been privy to those tears of such an extraordinary woman, and the smudges were physical evidence of the encounter.

Maura crawled into bed, situating her now clean, refreshed, and sleepy body in her cool sheets. She lay back and waited for sleep to come. When it eluded her after several minutes she considered meditating, but instead simply opened her eyes to gaze at the ceiling, pondering the day's events in her head.

Jane was beat. She decided she didn't have time for an end-of-the-day shower, or even for pajamas. She simply peeled off her trousers and tank and slid into her unmade bed. She lay on her side, staring at the wallpaper, willing herself to sleep for a moment before her mind flitted back to her day.

Maura had made a friend. She almost couldn't believe the ease with which she and Jane grew rapidly comfortable with each other as well as physically and emotionally close. The touching had started only a couple minutes in, and the holding comfortingly and crying on the shoulder had followed swiftly. Maura's pleased expression quickly turned into one of mild puzzlement. She didn't know a whole lot about platonic social interactions, but she was fairly certain two women didn't usually become so intimate on the first date. 'Date'? She meant… interaction. Outing. Outing worked nicely. It certainly couldn't be a date.

Jane frowned slightly. She realized for the first time how quickly intimate they had become. They had gone from a hand on a shoulder to a prolonged embrace in a matter of minutes. They had shared a milkshake, noses an inch apart. Heck, she'd almost stuck her hand down the other woman's ample chest. Then, of course, was the most significant touch. She had held Maura's hand. Jane's analytical detective's mind reeled as she processed the implications. She didn't let anyone touch her hands. Not even her partner. Hell, not even her own mother. Yet somehow she had let a strange, beautiful woman strut into her life in thousand-dollar heels and take her hand.

On opposite sides of Boston two minds raced simultaneously. Two minds analyzed, thought, felt. Four eyes stared vacantly in the dim lighting, miles away. Two bodies slowly un-tensed, relaxing into two very different sets of sheets as a decision was made. Two brows unfurrowed. One thought gained dominance.

"_I could be reading too much into it. But… let's just see how tomorrow goes."_

Two women slipped into sleep, and, for the moment, all was well.

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><p>A huge thanks to everyone to read, reviewed, alerted, and favorited. The number of reviews alone I've gotten on this story amaze me, and the sheer number of page views astounds me. Thank you all so much.<p> 


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